Victoria’s government-owned electricity generator and retailer is turning its focus to deep energy storage, including non-lithium battery technologies with up to 12 hours duration, following up on the “standout” success of its first ever investment, a very big battery in Melbourne’s west.
State Electricity Commission (SEC) chief Chris Miller this week presented an update on the progress of the newly rebooted public utility, including towards its target of underwriting 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable energy generation and storage by 2035.
Its first move towards that target was a 2023 co-investment with GreenPoint Energy (formerly Equis) in the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH), a 600 megawatt (MW) battery made up of Tesla Megapacks and offering between two and four hours of storage duration.
In an address to the Australian Energy Week 2026 conference in Melbourne, Miller touched on the significant contribution the MREH has made to Victoria’s electricity mix since it powered up last year, just in time for the summer.
With the aid of some slides, Miller illustrated how the state-backed battery is helping to flatten the solar duck curve, compress wholesale electricity prices in the morning and evening peaks, and stopping daytime prices from “scooting” into negative territory.
